Civil Beat had a great article in today’s edition on the proposed designation of critical habitat for the Monk Seal (for more on the regulation, see my earlier post here).
Photo courtesy of NOAA.
Sophie Cocke does a great job outlining the proposed habitat designation and then identifying the issues associated with
An environmental group has brought a federal court lawsuit against various federal officials seeking to enjoin the issuance of permits to the Kona Blue Water Fish aquaculture operation. The complaint can be downloaded here.
The complaint alleges that the issuance of permits for the aquaculture operation violates the Marine Sanctuaries Act, the National
Among the cases in my queue awaiting my analysis is Pacific Merchant Shipping Association v. Goldstene, which can be downloaded here. It relates to the Submerged Lands Act and whether it preempts state regulation of marine fuels. Not a simple topic to blog about, hence Apparently a Petition for a Writ of Certiorari was
In reference to my earlier post regarding the environmental lawsuit to stop whale strikes, here is the Petition compiled by several environmental groups to regulate ship speed off the coast of California to prevent whale strikes.
From the Petition:
Pursuant to the Administrative Procedure Act, 5 U.S.C. § 553(e), the Center for Biological Diversity, Environmental
The National Marine Fisheries Service is holding a series of public meetings to discuss its proposed rule regarding Hawaiian Monk Seal critical habitat. The proposed rule is here. The rule's background is:
In the notice of the proposed rulemaking, we propose to revise the current critical habitat for the Hawaiian monk seal (Monachus schauinslandi)
The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit just handed down its decision in the case of Lake Carriers’ Association v. EPA, 2011 U.S. App. LEXIS 14996 which can be found here.
Summary: This case involved several maritime trade associations bringing a challenge to a nationwide permit for the discharge of pollutants
Marine spatial planning and ocean governance is a very hot issue these days. Professor Robin Craig from Florida State University College of Law posted an upcoming law review article on the subject, entitled: Ocean Governance for the 21st Century: Making Marine Zoning Climate Change Adaptable. It is available on SSRN here.
More and more Americans are
Lots of ocean environmental issues in the news today.
The Star Advertiser reports that Japanese researchers discovered rare earth minerals in the Pacific Ocean, apparently beyond the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. Several interviewed, including my former colleague Robert Harris, have expressed some concerns about the environmental impacts of such action. This is an interesting discovery
The Ninth Circuit just released its decision in a lawsuit regarding groundfish regulations on the West Coast. The case is West Coast Seafood Processors Association ("Association") v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc. and the decision can be downloaded here.
The Natural Resources Defense Council filed a lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service challenging aspects of
Per Cruise Law News, environmental groups filed a federal lawsuit seeking to require cruise ships to slow down in order to avoid whale strikes. Apparently, the suit seeks to compel the government to regulate ship speed in California's four national marine sanctuaries.
I'll post the complaint when it is available from the court.